RESUMO
To evaluate the possible role of bovine tubercle bacillus in extrapulmonary tuberculosis, 100 patients with extrapulmonary disease using a new method for bacilli differentiation [the oxyR allele- specific PCR] were studied. Sixty-eight of them were from rural and sub-rural areas and 32 were from urban areas. Also, 21% of them were workers, 14% were farmers, 22% have no job, 14% housewives, 6% children, 3% engineers, 9% students and 8% butchers. Patients who gave positive culture for mycobacteria [46 patients] were subjected to oxyR allele-specific PCR assay to differentiate the type of bacilli. The study concluded that the absence of bovine bacilli in all patients is an evidence of a control of bovine tuberculosis in Egypt. OxyR allele-specific PCR is an invaluable, rapid and accurate test for bacilli differentiation